Confectionery-coating machine



May 6 1924.

- A. L. BAUSMAN CONFECTIONERY COATING MACHINE Filed Feb. 7. 1922 N ,QANQ

A INVENTOR M M BY ,y 'M

ATTORNEYS Patented May 6, 1924.

UNI-TED STAT-Es N FFICE:

ALONZQ r N er an 10F. eaman.1Me se age;wer r4 1 TIONAL E UIrMEN'rfco PANY, or SPRINGFIELD, MAssAoHUsET'rs'a co'nronm TION or mass'ncntrsnrrs.

conrncrIoivERY-coA'rine anemia: I

Application filed February To all whom it may/"concern:

Be it known that I, Anonzo LINTON Bans- MAN, citizen' of the United States. residing at Springfield, in the "county of Hampden particularly,to means for applying the bottom coating to the articles to be coated.

lVhile the-invention is capable of general application and may be used to advantage in applying a bottom coating to various articles such as cakes, biscuits, and various sorts of confections,"it is especially suitablefor use with frozen confections such as ice cream and other substances which have similar characteristics and tend to melt readily at the temperatures at which the confectionery coating, such as chocolate for example, is applied; The problem of coating articles of this character is complicated by the "fact that the warm coating softens "the frozen articles and the latter therefore lack the solid bottoms to which the coating is ordinarily held by adherence. Thus, the bottom coating cannot be sustained in the ordinary way and special provision must be made for supporting such coating at all timesuntil it becomes congealed Another complicat ing factor entering into this problem is that, due to the heatexchange between the frozen article and the warm fluid coating, the ten dency is to chill and congeal the coating prematurely, when ordinary methods are used for applying the bottom coating. Ordinarily, the articles are supported during the bottom'coating operation by a support or conveyer of open work construction, such as a wire belt for example. The rapid chilling of the bottom coating tends to make it cling to the wire belt and be held thereto much more firmly than it is held to the articles. Consequently, the bottom coating tends to follow the Wire belt as the articles are transferred therefrom to the delivery 7, 1922." Serial -No.534;.'791.

conveys-r, with thefresult that the bottomf coatin'g is stripped off. "In 'caseswhere-this action does "not occur, the bottom coatings will be found to be marredby'wireinarks due to congealing of the-coating before the" articles leave the wire belt, whereby the im-' pression left by the latten in thebotton'i" coatings cannot be smoothedout', as they I usually are, because the coating does not'remain in a fluid state'for a suflicient length of time.

This invention hasfor an object to provide improved means for applying a -COI1-T fectione'ry coating to the bottom surfaces of) articles and is characterized by floating the latter on a moving stream of the coating material and maintaining the support afforded by said stream upto the point where the articles are transferred to the delivery con veyer.

According to this feature of the invention, a stream of warm coating material is madeto function as a supporting and conveying means for the articles-and :to coat the 'bot-" tom surfaces of articles, particularly frozen confections, in a commercially satisfactory manner. The articles are supported "on i the streamcompletely out of contactwith any thing of the nature of the usual coating belt Other objects and advantages will appearin the following description and in the illustrativeeln'bodiment of :the. invention in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is an (elevational view of the bottom coating apparatus, together with article feeding and delivery conveyers usuallyassociated therewith, the delivery conveyer frequently delivering the aiticles after coating to a confectionery coating machine, also exemplified conventionally in this figure;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional elevational til view showing the bottom coating apparatus in full detail;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatical illustration of the bottom coating operation.

Referring to these drawings, the bottom coating apparatus is mounted in a frame A, suitably supported, as by a pedestal B, from the floor. Articles to be coated are supplied to the apparatus by a feed belt 5, which is herein shown as of fabric and as arranged to travel over a table 6. The latter is supported at one end by a pedestal C and at the other end from frame A, preferably in an adjustable manner, as indicated by screws 7, which permit vertical adjustment of the table and thus the delivery end of the article feeding belt. The latter is driven by a roll 8, which carries a. worm gear 9, driven by a worm 10, which in turn is driven by spur gears 11 from a shaft 12.

The coated articles are conveyed from the coating apparatus by a delivery conveyer 13 which usually, although not necessarily, also serves as the feeding conveyer for a confectionery coating machine, herein shown in conventional and fragmentary form at Df This machine may, for example, be of the general type disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,323,948, granted December 2, 1919, which is adapted to completely coat articles fed to its conveyer E, such coating including a second bottom coating applied to that applied by the bottom coating apparatus. The conveyer 13, preferably of fabric, travels over a table 14 which is supported at one end by brackets F from pedestal B and at the-other end from ledge G on the casing of machine preferably in a manner to permit vertical adjustment as by screws 15. The table 14; is preferably provided with a jacket 14, in which a cooling medium may be circulated to cool the applied bottom coatings and cause them to fully harden be fore the articles are delivered to the coating conveyer E of machine D. Conveyer 13 is driven a roll 16, mounted in brackets F, which roll carries a worm gear 17 In mesh with the latter is a worm 18, which is suit ably connected to the shaft 11 already described. A shaft 19 is suitably connected at one end to worm 18 and at the other end to a shaft H, which is one of the driven shafts of the coating machine D. The conveyer 13. at both ends of its upper lap of travel passes over relatively thin plates 20, which are adjustable longitudinally of table 14, as by screws 21; The delivery end of conveyer 5 is similar arranged, the idea being to cause the conveyers to turn relatively sharp corners so that the ends can be adjusted to lie closely adjacent the next succeeding element which carries the articles. Associated with conveyer 13 is a tension roll 22, which is carried by levers 23 pivoted to brackets F and movable by screws, 24: mounted in the brackets F.

The particular constructional details of the article feeding and discharging mechanism, although preferred, are not neces-. sarily essential and may be varied in many particulars and still embody the invention which is concerned primarily with the bottom coating apparatus and its cooperative relation with an article feeding and discharging mechanism.

The bottom coating apparatus includes an open topped receptacle 25 (Fig. 2) which is mounted within frame A and adapted to receive a confectionery coating material, of which chocolate is a representative example. Receptacle 25 is so disposed in frame A which itself is in the form of an open topped tank, as to afiord a jacket 26 in which a heatmg medium may be circulated to maintain the coating material'at proper temperature. Disposed within tank 25, and rotatably supported at its ends in the side walls, thereof, is a roll 27, the uppermost point of which is" substantially at the level of the upper stretch of conveyer 5, preferably slightly be low. The delivery end of conveyer 5 is disposed closely adjacent the periphery of roll 27 as shown. At one side of roll 27 and closely adjacent the feed end of conveyer 13 and with its upper portion substantially at. and preferably slightly below, the level of the upper stretch of conveyer 13, is a shaft 28. The latter, as shown, is rotatably supported at its ends in the side walls of frame A although it need not necessarily rotate. Extending around roll 2? and shaft 28 is an endless belt 29, preferably of a 'pervious character such for example as a wire belt. The roll 27 and belt 29 dip into the chocolate or other coating in tank 25 and carry it upwardly in a manner later to be described in detail.

Preferably, there is associated with-belt 29 a tension. roll 30, which is rotatably supported at its ends in the lower arms of hell crank levers 31, one of which is clearly shown in 2 and 3. Each lever is ad justably secured. as indicated. to the adjacent side wall of frame A and is mounted to sw'ng about shaft 30, when desired. Mounted upon hub portion 32 of each lever 31 for angular adjustment relatively thereto is a split member 33 which may be clamped to the hub portion by screws 3 members support between them a scraper which engages shaft 28 in the usual way.

The roll 27,.v driven by a chain 36 and suitable sprockets from-the roll 16 already described. Movable with roll 16 is a gear 37. which drives a pinion 38, and movable with the latter is a gear 39 which drives a pinion 40 on shaft 28. The drive for shaft 28 is not necessarily essential, as heretofore pointed out.

The entire bottom coating apparatus may be covered as by a member 41, which is supported by resting at its ends on the side walls of frame A. Member 41 may have a transparent portion 42 through which the operation of the apparatus may be observed. The use of the member 41 provides an enclosure for the apparatus which enclosure is complete aspossible and permits the desired temperature conditions to be readily maintained.

According to this invention it is desired to provide a moving stream of chocolate upon which articles to be coated, such for example, as frozen confections a may be floated, such articles being deposited on th stream in any desired manner but preferably by a feed belt, such as that shown at F or producing the stream the roll 27 and belt 29 are provided but since the latter is desirably of an open work and pervious construction, other means cooperating therewith, are necessary to maintain the stream. F nch means may take the form of aplate 44 which is so supported as to underlie'the upper stretch of travel of belt 29 and fill the gap between shaft 28 and roll 27, whereby to prevent the coating, at least in any substantial quantity from falling back into tank 25. As shown this plate is supported by being secured to the scraper 34 although any other suitable supporting means may be provided. lVhile an impervious belt might be used in place of belt 29 and still embody the invention, the described arrangement is preferred because the impervious belt will not last very long and the coating will work in under the belt and clog the apparatus.

Preferably, a drip pan 46 is disposed beneath that portion of conveyer which overlies receptacle in order to prevent any.

particles of the confections falling from the conveyer from dropping into the receptacle and becoming mixed with the coating therein. This pan is particularly important when the confection is of ice cream or the like for a mixing of the latter with chocolate coating tends to thicken the coating and render it unsuitable for use until again reconditioned.

In operation. articles a are placed on conveyer 5 and thereby fed to the bottom appai'atus. In such apparatus the roll 27 and belt 29 feed up coating from receptacle 25 and force it to travel over plate 44 forming a thick stream of coating .9 the top of which-f is appreciably above belt 29. This stream of coating is maintained from falling until it reaches the shaft 28 and the latter being positioned closely adjacent the feed end of conveyer 13, provides a support for the articles a during the bottom coating and until they canbe transferred to conveyer 13.

Thelatter beingsubstantially non-pervio-us provides a support for the coated articles until the bottom coating solidifies; The

solidification of thiscoating is, of course, accelerated by the influence of the cooling medium circulated in jacket 14.

The articles a do not come in contact with roll 27, belt 29, shaft 30 or'plate 44 for athick stream of chocolate is maintained to cover these elementsand the articles are fed on to this stream and float thereon, be-

ing moved bythe stream. The speed of the 'stream,- which functions as a conveying the important point is that this coating is. a

supported and kept from prematurely c0ngealing so that :the articles are transferred to conveyer 13gwhile the coating is soft. The weightof the articles. applied to the soft bottom'coating forces it down against conveyer 13' into smooth flat form almost at the instantthat'the. articles reach the conveyer and the bottom coatings thereafter congeal in the desired smooth form.

coating mustbe maintained up to the point of transfer to conveyery13 for otherwise the However, in the case of 'frozen' articles the. streamof bottom coating having nothing solid to cling drop into contact with belt '29-and, by premature congealing, cling thereto with the disadvantages above set forth.

to, would fall away from the articles or maintenance of a thick stream of coating;

to conveyer 13.

in a heated casing, the coating is'preventedf from chilling prior to the time oftransfer 1 Obviously, the articles should be moved through the bottomcoa'ting apparatus as fast as possible and the distance, which. the articles have to 1 travel therein should be madeas short aspossible to avoid undue softening of the articles when of a frozen character such as we cream.

In the subsequent travel of the'articles through an ordinary coating machine such as D, the congealed bottom coating serves to 7 support the articles during their travel on the coating conveyerand affords the desired solid bottom forthe bottom coating to cling to. Y i 1 The invention hasbeen disclosed herein, in an embodiment at present referred, for

Y illustrative purposes but the scope ofthe inthereupon and coated on their under surfaces said stream, whereby the articles are floated and conveyed, and conveying means having a lap of travel starting from a point closely adjacent to the delivery end of said stream and moving in the same general direction to convey the coated articles, the latter being transferred to said conveying means directly from said stream, and the conveying means having an unbroken surface to support the coated articles until their coating has hardened.

2. In combination, means for producing a moving and substantially unbroken stream of fluid coating material, feeding means to deliver articles to be coated to and upon said stream, whereby the articles are floated thereupon and coated on their under surfaces and conveyed, conveying means having a lap of travel starting from a point closely adjacent to the delivery end of said stream and moving in the same general direction to convey the coated articles, the latter being transferred to said conveying means directly from said stream and the con veying means having an unbroken surface to support the coated articles until their coating has hardened, and means for cooling the bottom coatings during their travel on said conveying means.

, 3. In combination, conveying means having a substantially unbroken surface to receive, support and convey articles after coating, means for producing a substantially unbroken stream of coating material moving in the same general direction as said conveying means and movable into close proximity thereto, and means to deposit articles on said stream, whereby they are coated on their under surfaces during their travel on the stream and transferred directly by the latter to said conveying means.

4. In combination, conveying means having a substantially unbroken surface to receive, support and convey articles after coating, means for producing a substantially unbroken stream of coating material moving in the same general direction as said conveying means and movable into close proximit-y thereto, means to deposit articles on said stream, whereby they are coated on their under surfaces during their travel on the stream and transferred directly by the latter to said conveying means, and means for cooling the coatings during the travel of the articles on said conveying means.

In combination, conveying means of relatively impervious material for articles to be coated, a second conveying means of similar material to receive the coated articles having its receiving end spaced from the discharge end of the first named means and means for producing a moving and sub stantially unbroken layer of fluid coating material to fill the gap between said means and effect the bottom coating of the articles and transfer them from one means to the other.

(5. in combination, conveying means of relatively impervious material for articles to be coated, a second conveying means of similar material to receive the coated articles having its receiving end spaced from the discharge end of the first named means, and means for producing a moving and substantially unbroken layer of fluid coating n'iaterial to fill the gap between said means and effect the bottom coating of the articles and transfer them from one means to the other. said second named conveying means and said "stream having their article conveying laps of travel disposed in substantiallv a common plane.

7. In combination, conveying means of relatively impervious material for articles to be coated, a second conveying means of similar material. to receive the coated articles, having its receiving end spaced from the discharge end of the first named means, and means for producing a moving and substantially unbroken layer of fluid coating material to ill the gap between said means and efiect the bottom coating of the articles and transfer them from one means to the other, said first and second named conveying means and said stream having their article conveying laps of travel disposed in substantially a common plane.

8. In combination. a receptacle for coating material, an'endless conveyer mounted to move through said material during a part of its travel and to carry a stream of the material along a substantially horizontal path, means for depositing articles upon said stream near one end of said path, and conveying means movable in close proximity to said stream at the other end of said path to receive the articles carried by said stream, said conveying means having a substantially fiat unbroken supporting surface for the coated articles.

9, In combination, a receptacle for coating material, an endless conveyer mounted to move through said material during a part of its travel and to carry a stream of the material along a substantially horizontal path, a conveyer to feed articles to said stream near one end of said path and having a part overlying said receptacle, means underlying said part to prevent drip and foreign material from the last named conveyer from entering said receptacle, and conveying means movable in close proximity to said stream at the other end of said path to receive the articles carried by said stream, said conveying means having a substantially flat unbroken supporting surface for the coated articles.

10. In combination, a receptacle for coating material, an endless pervious conveyer mounted to move through said material during a part of its travel and to carry a thick stream of the material along a substantially horizontal path, means underlying said conveyer during its travel in said path to support said stream, means for depositing articles upon said streanrnear one end of said path, and conveying means movable in close proximity to said stream at the other end of said path to receive the articles car ried by said stream, said conveymg'meanshaving a substantially fiat unbroken sup-' porting surface for the coated articles. a

In testimony whereof I have afliXe'd my signature.

ALONZO LINTON BAUSMAN. 

